Parallel Myths

by J.F. Bierlein

Book Overview

"Unusually accessible and useful . . . An eye-opener to readers into the universality and importance of myth in human history and culture."-William E. Paden, Chair, Department of Religion, University of Vermont For as long as human beings have had language, they have had myths. Mythology is our earliest form of literary expression and the foundation of all history and morality. Now, in Parallel Myths, classical scholar J. F. Bierlein gathers the key...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0345381467
• ISBN13: 9780345381460
• Release Date: October 1994
• Publisher: Ballantine Books
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.6" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Where all the great stores began.

One of the themes I consistently stress to my students is that there are only a handful of stories, and they are all just variations on an original theme. Invariably, they all ask me "who wrote the original stories?" Well, look no further. J.F. Bierlein has done a masterful job of compiling some of the more intriguing world mythologies and categorizing them by theme (creation myths, Armageddon myths, etc.) This is a that I have used with great success in the classroom, and I would highly recommend it as a starting point in any study of mythology.Why Are All the Good Teachers Crazy?

A nice resource, a continuation of Campbell... Great Reading.

"Language is everything to myth..." - Bierlein J.F. Bierlein is a good as anyone about objectively offering such comparisons... I have most of Joseph Campbell's works in my library.. and Bierlein now as well. "The Hero With A Thousand Faces" is what gets most people really interested in his other works. There are several other really good authors to discover. "...a mythology is a control system, on the one hand framing its community to accord with an intuited order of nature and, on the other hand, by means of its symbolic pedagogic rites, conducting individuals through the ineluctable psychophysiological stages of transformation of a human lifetime - birth, childhood and adolescence, age, old age, and the release of death - in unbroken accord simultaneously with the requirements of this world and the rapture of participation in a manner of being beyond time." -Joseph Campbell J.F. Bierlien stands out for me as an author who really knows the material and is objective. His "Parallel Myths" was better than his "Living Myths" for me, but good enough to purchase and research from. I would like to have this in hardcover, though. His Trickster Tales from all over are vastly original and thought-provoking - not the dimestore regurgitated rubbish in many textbooks.

Multi-faceted and Insightful

This fascinating work - which delves deep into myths from around the world and shows startling parallels - is a must-have for anyone who is interested in the study of ethnology, comparative religions, mythology, the development of civilizations, etc. and so forth - in other words, just about anyone who is interested in where we, as humanity, have been and where we are going. The author shows where parallel myths have developed between cultures where there is no known contact and speculates, via various models, on how this might have happened. Myths are presented from the typical Greek, Roman and Norse, through Egyptian, Semitic, Polynesian and various Native American tribal myths as well as Incan and Aztec. I was particularly interested (having managed to get this far in my life and not been exposed to much in the way of Norse/Germanic mythology or Wagnerian opera) by how much Tolkien borrowed for his LotR series from said sources. I was also appalled in many instances by the extreme bloodiness of some of the Egyptian myths - most of them seemed to end badly, which made me wonder . . . I shall now have to do further research (oh, drat - now I'll have to go buy books . . ) Although scholarly in nature, the work is engaging and accessible to the lay reader and in this reader's humble opinion, should be added to the reading list of as many individuals as possible. A definite recommend from me.

Truly useful and intriguing to read!

I was struck by more than this Bierlein's wonderfully lucid and enthralling style. Even though others had found most of the mythic & scriptural patterns, Bierlein's intriguing evidentiary quotations and disciplined background & contextual analysis gave me goosebumps. He is not only on to something mysterious here but he has courageously related the inspiration he felt as he explored the undeniable spiritual realities embedded in the roots of civilization. Others' comments include: "Religious scholar J.F. Bierlein gathers key myths from the world's major traditions, drawing from the works of Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, and others, to reveal their common themes, images, and meanings. He vividly retells creation, flood, morality, and underworld myths, among others." Professional and hobbyist archaeologists, adventurers and anyone concerned with matters spiritual must acquire and absorb this important work. I impatiently await his next fascinating endeavor, due out in early 1998: MYTH, MYSTERY, AND MEANING. -- Dan Gallagher author, THE PLEISTOCENE REDEMPTION